I have no qualms with traditional boiled pierogithe slippery dough pockets stuffed with anything from potatoes to cabbage, cheese, or meat is pure comfort. But if I had the choice, Id almost always opt for a crisp and golden fried pierogi. Air-fried, to be specific. Do note that theres one crucial step to achieving incredibly light and shattering skin with the air fryer, and that, my friends, is boiling.The trick to great air fryer pierogiIf youve ever dumped frozen pierogi into an air fryer you probably only tried it once, because that stuff turns out dry and hard (not to be confused with crispy). The air fryer, as we know, does not magically fry anything: its a petite convection heating system. While the fan forces the hot air around the small interior space, high temperatures can be achieved. Your food might cook faster, and theres a good chance that what you tossed in there will become nice and crispy. Perhaps a similar texture to something that was deep friedor a nice piece of cardboard.The arid winds of the air fryer are very effective for drying out items, so things that dont have much moisture going in just get dryer. Thats why its not so good for toasting sliced bread. Frozen pierogi have an exterior of, essentially, dry pasta. Putting that in the air fryer simply dries it out while reheating the filling. The finished pierg will be edible, but the skin will have a floury taste and pasty texture. Not ideal. Left: a twice-cooked (boiled and air-fried) pierg. Right: a pierg directly air-fried from the freezer. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann In the side-by-side comparison of air-fried only (right) and boiled-first (left), you can immediately see the difference in color and texture. If you look closely, the boil-first pierogi on the left has tiny little bubbles rippling across the entire surface. Those are the air pockets that develop after hydrating and quickly evaporating moisture from the shell.Boiling first changes the composition and textureTaking a cue from air-fried caramel pasta crisps, I boil my pierogi first and toss them in a bit of butter. Boiling the pierogi for a few minutes first hydrates the wrapper and the light coating of fat helps with browning. After boiling, the pasta becomes soft and pudgy with water molecules. Now, when you put the pasta in the air fryer, whether theyre potato filled pierogi or plain pasta, the high blast of heat from the convection oven will evaporate the water quickly, resulting in a sheet of pasta riddled with tiny air pockets. Biting into this thin, bubbly sheet feels light and crisp, not hard. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I like to toss the pierogi in a bit of butter and salt before air frying. This helps conduct the heat of the air fryer even more evenly, and it tastes good. Two birds, you know? If youre air frying homemade fresh pierogi, only boil them until they float; about two minutes.Air-Fried Pierogi RecipeIngredients:8-10 frozen pierogi tablespoon butterPinch salt1. Fill a medium pot with water. There should be plenty of water for the pierogi to be submerged and not bump into their neighbors too much. Bring it to a boil.2. Drop the pierogi into the boiling water and cook them almost completely. Check out the packages directions for boiling and subtract two minutes from the timing. Depending on their size, this could take five to eight minutes. Mine were medium-sized and I boiled them for seven minutes.3. While theyre boiling, add the butter and a pinch of salt to a wide mixing bowl.4. Drain the pierogi in a stranger and let the residual moisture evaporate for about two minutes, then drop the still-hot pierogi into the bowl. Toss and flip the dumplings so they all get coated in salty butter.5. Drop the pierogi into the air fryer. Set it to the air fry setting at 350F and cook them for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cook time. Serve with your favorite pierogi condiments or with a swipe of garlicky butter.

If you're in the market for a new controller, you're in luck. Microsoft's Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller is on sale for $98 at Amazon and Target, down from $130. That means its about $3 off its lowest price to date a great opportunity to upgrade to something a little nicer. We've recommended the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller before, and that's mainly based on its ability to give you the best of the $180 Xbox Elite Series 2 controller for a more approachable price. That includes fits and finishes like a rubberized grip and sturdier, longer-lasting versions of a traditional controller's triggers, joysticks and directional pad (it's circular now). On top of that, it has up to 40 hours of battery life. The Elite Series 2 Core also lets you adjust the tension of the joysticks and triggers to your liking, and remap the controller's buttons in the Xbox Accessories app. That's helpful if there's specific settings your prefer for Call of Duty: Warzone versus something more relaxing, like Viva Piata, or if you share your controller with someone else. The main disadvantage with the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller, besides the limited color options you have purchasing it anywhere other than the Xbox Design Lab, are the lack of accessories. Included in the price for a normal Xbox Elite Series 2 controller is a variety of different joysticks, directional pads and back paddles you can attach when you want to experiment with a new setup. Those aren't included at all with the Core controller. In fact, there's awkward divots on the back of the controller where the paddles are supposed to be attached. It's a small annoyance in the grand scheme of things, and one that can be rectified by buying the accessories when you figure out that you actually need them down the road. Even without paddles, the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller should feel noticeably more pleasant to use, and when you're trying to make your way through an extra-long RPG, that's what really matters anyway. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-xbox-elite-series-2-core-controller-is-on-sale-for-98-222712100.html?src=rss

As the world turns, so do the console generations. The Nintendo Switch is over seven years old, so its due for a refresh. Nintendo Switch 2 rumors have been swirling for years, but now they are really heating up. A sequel to Nintendo's most successful home console ever is coming and its likely coming sooner rather than later.Will it be a straight up sequel to the Switch with updated specs while retaining the same hybrid functionality or will Nintendo get weird with it? Will it even be called the Switch 2, or will the company go with something like the Super Switch or even the New Nintendo Switch? You can never tell with Nintendo. Heck, maybe itll call the thing the Switch U.In any event, recent weeks have brought feverish speculation regarding all aspects of the forthcoming gaming console. Its important to note, however, that very little information has been confirmed by Nintendo. The company operates on its own timetable. With that said, here are all of the rumors that are most likely to come true, given industry analysis.When will the Nintendo Switch 2 be announced?As previously mentioned, Nintendo marches to the beat of its own drum. We dont exactly know when itll hold an event to reveal the console. A lot of people wrongly assumed it would happen toward the latter part of 2024, but that didn't happen.Even Nintendo has trouble keeping the lid on a major console release, so we could learn something before the official reveal. There are parts that have to be sourced and shipments that have to be made. A senior analyst at MST Financial noted a spike in production equipment spending by Nintendo assembler Hosiden.When will the Nintendo Switch 2 come out?Once again, this is more or less a mystery. We arent totally in the dark, but its mostly rumor and speculation. One thing we know for sure is that Nintendo will announce the Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever it chooses to call it) by March 2025, as the company confirmed back in May. Some are saying there will be a March release date, which makes sense given the OG Switch came out on March 17, 2017. However, other reports put the consoles release window later in 2025.Accessory manufacturer Genki, which has been a major source of leaks in recent months, claims the console will be released in April.Will it even be a proper Switch sequel?Nintendo has a weird track record here. The baffling Wii U followed the massive success of the Wii. The Wii itself followed the more traditional GameCube. In other words, its possible itll be something out of left field and not exactly a true sequel to the Switch. However, this is unlikely this time around. As much as I would love to see wacky VR glasses or a completely bonkers console concept, all points indicate a more traditional approach.Nintendo Patent Points to (Another) VR Headset https://t.co/pofTjclgOt #LaboVR #Nintendo pic.twitter.com/A5WEZUG3kL The Escapist (@EscapistMag) September 10, 2019 Developers have already seen the hardware, though in a much earlier form, and it seems to be a regular old console. While Nintendo hasn't confirmed hybrid functionality, itd be a weird omission given the absolute financial firestorm of the Switch. Weve also heard rumors of a Mini-LED display, which would track for a hybrid console. Its highly likely this will be a straight-up Switch 2, or something like it, calling to mind the Super Nintendo.A summary of today's alleged Switch 2 images 'leak'. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/Z4rfSGz4WQ Andy Robinson (@Andy_VGC) September 18, 2024 To that end, recent rumors suggest a design that recalls the original Switch. According to reporting by VGC, photos of the console have appeared online and they show an 8-inch screen and magnetic Joy-Con controllers. There looks to be SL/SR buttons and front-facing player LEDs on these controllers.Will there be a bit of Nintendo weirdness?Everything leaked or rumored so far on this console has been fairly, well, traditional. It looks like the original Switch, but better. That's awesome, but will there be any of that unpredictable Nintendo magic? Maybe! Recent reports indicate two puzzling additions that folks can't make hide nor hair of.Genki, the accessories manufacturer, just published a landing page for their Nintendo Switch 2 accessories. This landing page features a video that includes a very detailed look at a Switch 2 mockup. pic.twitter.com/Db7RSk4YlQ Bob Wulff (@BobWulff) January 8, 2025 An accessory maker called Genki accidentally leaked an alleged mockup at CES 2025 of the entire console. If the Switch 2 is coming sooner rather than later, it makes sense that accessory makers would have these kinds of mockups. There looks to be a mysterious "C" button on the bottom-right side and nobody knows what it does. Could it initiate voice chat during gameplay? Could it calibrate the controllers? Could it create a room-sized hologram of Bowser in your living room? We'll have to wait and see, and there's always a chance that the button won't even exist.Now onto the updated Joy-Cons, those same leaks seem to indicate a new sensor on the connecting side of each controller. It looks a whole lot like an optical sensor, which is what a computer mouse uses. This has led to speculation that players will be able to flip the Joy-Con over and use it like a mouse.Genki reveal isnt a mockup, its straight up just the Switch 2, optical sensor is literally flashing in this shot @Stealth40k #Switch2 pic.twitter.com/COeLsonqMd Ash (@Ashinarii) January 8, 2025 But why would anyone even want this? I can think of three words. New Mario Paint. In any event, take all of that Genki stuff with a big grain of salt, as Nintendo came out and said that the images and video were "not official." The accessory manufacturer has also stated that its mockup wasn't based on an actual console, but rather leaked information thats circulating in the industry.Is the Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatible?If its a sequel to the Switch, the next question has to be about backwards compatibility. The Switchs library is absolutely massive, and continues to grow, so gamers would be rightfully peeved if they couldnt play Tears of the Kingdom on their new next-gen console. Theres good news on this front.The company has officially announced in a recent earnings report that the console will be fully backwards compatible. It will also feature access to Nintendo Online, so users will be able to play all of those old retro titles.What about specs?The rumors regarding specs are all over the place, so its tough to pin down. We know one thing for sure: Itll be more powerful than the ancient Switch hardware, which was already antiquated back in 2017. One analyst allegedly got a hold of a spec sheet from the Korean United Daily News that said the Switch 2 would boast an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal eMMC storage. This tracks for me, as these specs are about as underpowered in 2024 as the original Switch was in 2017. However, some reports do indicate that the console would include 12GB of RAM.Another source suggests that the eight-core CPU will be packaged inside an NVIDIA-produced Tegra239 SoC (system on a chip). Given the current Switch runs on an NVIDIA chip, that makes a lot of sense. The CPU will be more powerful, but it's the Switch 2's new GPU that will be a major differentiator. It's all-but-confirmed that the Switch 2 will support DLSS, NVIDIA's "deep learning supersampling" upscaling tech, which would allow the console to render games at a low resolution internally while outputting a high-resolution image. (Fun fact: We actually wrote about how perfect DLSS was for the Nintendo Switch 2 when the technology was announced alongside the RTX 20 series back in 2018.)There are still questions about the Switch 2 and DLSS: Will the system support newer DLSS features like frame generation? Will existing games be automatically tidied up by NVIDIA's algorithm? Regardless of the exact implementation, DLSS upscaling will be a huge leap over the rudimentary techniques available to Nintendo Switch developers.As for the display, there are many conflicting rumors. Early reports from solid sources suggested the Switch 2 would have an 8-inch display LCD display, but there have also been rumors about an 7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Some analysts have suggested this would be an OLED screen, while others have said it would be a Mini-LED display. A Mini-LED display is basically an LCD display that has a backlight made of (surprise!) mini-LEDs rather than edge lighting. This allows for local dimming, making the blacks more black. Im hedging my bets here. I think itll be a standard LCD, to cut costs, with an OLED or Mini-LED model coming later down the line. However, Mini-LED screens are slightly cheaper than OLED displays, so thats certainly a possibility at launch.As for resolution, recent reporting suggests that the console will output 1080p in handheld and 4K when docked. That's much better than the OG Switch.How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?We don't have too much information regarding price but we do have plenty of history to work with. The original Nintendo Switch launched at $300, which is pretty much the "magic number" when it comes to Nintendo console releases in recent years. The Wii U also came in at $300.However, there are plenty of rumors circulating that Nintendo could be upping the asking price for the Switch 2. Numerous outlets have reported it'll be $400, or potentially even more expensive. However, the same analysts who say the console will be $400 were also fairly certain it would be out by the end of 2024 and, well, it looks like that ain't happening.Dipping back into history, there is some precedence for a price uptick. The GameCube was $200 and the Wii was $250. The Wii U and Switch increased to $300 and, well, numbers like to go up. A $400 price tag would make it nearly as expensive as a PS5 and Xbox Series X. That would also put it at the same price as the 256GB LCD Steam Deck.Do we know about any launch games?Nope! But its certainly been a long time since weve gotten a proper 3D Mario adventure, right? That would be one heck of a system seller. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine. Past as prologue, we can expect something from Ubisoft and an off-the-wall title like 1-2-Switch.If theres a gimmick or hook involved with the console, well also get a game that takes advantage of that. A dual release of Metroid Prime 4, just like Breath of the Wild and Twilight Princess before that, is also a possibility. Finally, there have been rumblings that the big launch title could be none other than Mario Kart 9.That's everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 today. We'll update this article with rumors we trust and with information we gather directly from sources. Any changes made to the article after its initial publishing will be listed below.Update, January 10, 2025, 12:40 PM ET: This story has been updated with details about the Switch 2's alleged "C" button, along with the Joy-Con optical sensors. We also wrote about the announcement window and launch games. Finally, we covered announcements from Nintendo and Genki regarding a potential leak.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-everything-we-know-about-the-upcoming-console-110023968.html?src=rss

It was while walking past the RadioShack booth at CES 2025 that I spied the Kodak stand not far ahead. And it was while musing about the fate of those two storied okay maybe not storied names that I spied another Kodak booth two rows over. For a company thats been dead more than a few times over, its certainly enjoying something of a renaissance. Look, its not as if there havent always been brands that die and get revived in pursuit of a quick buck. Especially if the price is cheap and theres any residual degree of affection for it, but even so there are a hell of a lot of them now. Do we need four different companies selling Kodak-branded wares?Daniel Cooper for EngadgetPerhaps the most egregious example at this years show was from Mizari, an LA-based company that sells hardware under a variety of names. This year, it was showing off a lineup of products under the Memorex brand, including e-bikes, scooters and golf caddies. If youre unfamiliar, Memorex made recordable media in the analog era: computer and cassette tapes, VHS, CDs and eventually DVDs. Its slogan was Is it live, or is it Memorex? boasting its superior audio quality. Does that slogan work as well for e-bikes, scooters and golf caddies? Thats less clear.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetThe companys representatives said that using the Memorex name was an experiment to see how much affection the public has for the brand. Theyre targeting people over the age of 40 who remember what they slammed in their tape decks. At the same time, theyre targeting younger generations who may feel the pull of that retro name, since were apparently in an era where anything old is inherently laudable. Mizari also holds the license for Delorean, albeit just to make e-bikes, scooters and go-karts, for the kids, you know?Daniel Cooper for EngadgetRadioShack has been passed from owner to owner since it initially filed for Chapter 11 back in 2015. In May 2023, it was bought by Unicomer, a RadioShack franchisee from Central and South America which is now relaunching the parent brand in the US. It will act, like so many of these companies, as a distributor, adding its name to a variety of products made elsewhere. Its lineup is already 400 products strong, from gaming keyboards and mice to portable projectors and speakers. The idea, as you might have guessed, is to cash in on the fact people likely remember the name of this over some generic product they'll find among the dregs on Amazon.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetThe two Kodaks nearby share the Kodak name, but very little else: One is showing off the Kodak Mini Shot (lead image), made by Prinics Co. Walk 50 yards further down the plush CES carpet and youll find another Kodak (pictured above), this one selling digital photo frames and tablets. Staffers at both booths are happy to talk about which part of the sprawling Kodak license they are paying for. Hell, the latter Kodak stand was also advertising those same products under the Thomson name, an old French electronics company that was rebranded as Thales 25 years ago.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetA little walk and youll soon find a large stand from RCA, which also holds the names Thomson and Blaupunkt. All three are nothing more than names and logos slapped on products that are shipped in from various manufacturers. RCA is famously known for making radio equipment and other electronics before branching into broadcasting, music and movies. So its natural, too, that you can pick up an RCA-branded e-bike and scooter, cashing in on all those bikes RCA made when your pop pop was in diapers.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetNext to Mizaris Memorex-branded exhibits was the third Kodak booth Id stumbled across, this one showing off a wide variety of products. This included smartwatches, cameras, binoculars, mirrors with halo lighting and Bluetooth speakers, all made by various licensees. And, quite literally two booths over, was another Kodak stand, this time from C&A Global, which makes Kodak branded photo printers (and the HP Sprocket) as well as projectors and scanners.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetIm not sure I need to wave my hands around and try to make some sort of grand point about All Of This. One one hand, it doesnt matter. Lots of low-cost products are sold to folks who arent going to interrogate their purchases. Given how common the practice of buying a dead brand and slapping it on whatever you sell, it must be profitable enough to justify doing it. But it just leaves me scratching my head, wondering whos going to remember the tape company from the 90s and want to ride an e-bike with its logo on the side. Or who would think theres any trust left in the Kodak brand given the near-homeopathic levels of dilution its subjected to. Maybe these companies' real lingering value is to serve as a reminder to all the other tech brands that this is the fate that awaits them if they keep messing up.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/a-tale-of-four-kodaks-173040742.html?src=rss

Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

Looking for Quordle clues? We can help. Plus get the answers to Quordle today and past solutions.

Tesla's voluntary recall is related to issues that may cause rearview cameras to fail, according to filings out Friday.

The massive Los Angeles fires are still going strong for the fourth day in a row, and theyre causing huge disruptions across the entertainment world. This week, the organization behind the Academy Awards announced its extending the voting window for the 97th Oscars. Several other award shows have also had to push back their events.In a letter obtained by CBS News, Bill Kramer, the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, shared the news. We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California, Kramer wrote. So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you.Nominations for the 97th Academy Awards were originally set to take place Friday, January 17. That event has been rescheduled for Sunday, January 19, according to Kramers letter. Timing for the announcement has not yet been shared. Currently, the 97th Academy Awards, which will be hosted by Conan OBrien, are still set to take place on March 2, 2025.The blazes, driven by powerful wind, began Tuesday and have destroyed neighborhoods lining the Pacific coast, and parts of the Hollywood Hills. Celebrities like Milo Ventimiglia, who was filmed fighting back tears as he returned to his burned down neighborhood, Ricki Lake, Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, and dozens of others have already lost their homes.Its a terrifying situation and Im grateful to the firefighters and all of the good Samaritans who are helping people get out of the way of the blaze, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who was forced to evacuate her home, wrote on Instagram Wednesday.As homes and businesses burn, at least 10 lives have been claimed in the blaze, a number that is expected to rise. On Friday, schools were cancelled over poor air quality. Over 179,000 people have been evacuated, and hundreds of animals have been displaced. One Pasadena animal shelter has taken in over 300 animals who were found roaming, or were unable to be cared for by their owners.The Oscars are not the only award show that has been disrupted by the L.A. fires. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards put out a virtual press release on Thursday to announce nominees, instead of its usual nominations announcement. The Critics Choice Awards also postponed Sundays ceremony to January 26.L.A. film premieres have been cancelled this week, as well. Amazon MGM Studios and Universal Studios cancelled premieres of the films Unstoppable and Wolf Man, which had been scheduled for Tuesday evening. The following day, Paramount and Max cancelled premieres of Better Man and The Pitt.

Have you recently gone to the grocery store to buy eggs, only to find the section half empty or barely stocked at all? You might be wondering why theres an egg shortage, and why the ones that are available are so expensive (I recently paid $8.49 for a carton at my local food co-op).It certainly wouldnt be the first time people are asking why eggs are so expensive, as egg prices were a major point of contention during the recent U.S. presidential election.As for the answer? There are a few reasons, namely: inflation, supply chain issues, recent contaminations that have led to a number of recalls, and now, bird flu.Lets break it down. Egg prices are risingIts not your imagination. Egg prices have definitely gone up. How much depends on what kind of eggs you are buying, where you live, and where you shop. Do you shop at a high-end organic foods retailer? Or at a discount supermarket (like Market Basket, whose slogan, more for your dollar, says it all)?A look at the numbers shows wholesale prices for large eggs reached $5.57 per dozen in the Midwest last month, up 150% from a year ago, and a carton of eggs was running a staggering $8.85 in California, according to commodities data from Expana reported by Reuters.If we look at prices as a whole across the country, eggs rose over 38%in the last year, bringing a carton up to$3.65 in November compared with $2.14 in November 2023, according to theU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, per USA Today.And eggs could get even pricier. Karyn Rispoli, Expanas managing editor for eggs, told Reuters that stores may raise prices in 2025, though they have been slow to do so given the current sticker shock.Supply chain issues dont helpSince the pandemic, supply chain issues have had a major impact on just about every industry, though most noticeably, perhaps, on the agricultural industry.Simply put, the egg industry continues to deal with these unresolved issues, namely, a labor shortage and building costs years after COVID-19 initially broke out in the U.S. in March 2020. The logistics of getting eggs from the farm to your refrigerator isnt easy, requiring shipping and manufacturing, all of which are just much more expensive now.Eggs are being recalledThere has been an alarming number of food recalls over the past year, and eggs are no exception.Over the holidays, Kirkland Signature organic eggs sold at Costco were recalled due to possible salmonella, as were Handsome Brook Farms eggs, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Prior to that, a major salmonella outbreak caused Wisconsin-basedMilos Poultry Farmsto recall two egg brands, Milos Poultry Farms and Tonys Fresh Market, which resulted in 65 people getting sick,and two dozen people hospitalized.An avian influenza or bird flu outbreak is another factorAnd as if we didnt have enough to contend with, now theres an outbreak of avian influenza, or bird flu, which refers to a group of influenzas that affect birds. Of 35 million commercial egg-laying hens killed by bird flu this year, nearly half contracted the virus in the past three months, according to Expana.The strain of the virus now hitting the U.S. is H5N1. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers. So far, it has infected 66 people across 10 states, killing one person.In humans, the bird flu can spread to the respiratory tract, making people sick, and in some cases, causing death. According to the CDC,while the current public health risk associated with these avian influenza detections in birds remains low, the agency recommends cooking all eggs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and emphasizes proper handling.